Stenhousemuir v Rangers: McCoist relishes Hearts clash next season but admits Jambos will be serious threat to title ambitions

ALLY MCCOIST has revealed he was happy to see Hearts saved but admitted that the relegated Edinburgh outfit could pose a serious threat to the Light Blues' title ambitions next season when the two meet in the Scottish Championship.

Ally McCoist is all smiles as he has a kick about with a young fan (Photo: Willie Vass)

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RANGERS boss Ally McCoist last night insisted Hearts will pose a serious threat to the Light Blues’ Championship title ambitions next season.

McCoist was delighted to learn in midweek that the Jambos will not suffer the same liquidation fate as Rangers and have to work their way up from the bottom tier.

However, McCoist readily admits that Hearts will have a major say in whether or not Rangers complete phase three of their own journey back to the top flight of Scottish football.

He said: “Hearts will be a serious threat next season.

“They will be a bigger threat than people are estimating, they will be a much stronger side next season.

“I am really pleased for Hearts. Personally, I certainly didn’t want them to be liquidated and sent down to the bottom tier because it isn’t fun.

“They now look as if they are going to get the CVA, that’s obviously the best scenario and just reading Gary Locke’s interviews in the last couple of days you can see how much it’s meant to him and the Hearts supporters.

“I am genuinely pleased for Gary and the Hearts fans.”

McCoist admitted he loved playing at Tynecastle and is relishing the chance to pit his wits against the Gorgie outfit.

And he knows Rangers won’t have it all their own way in the Championship next season in a league which he believes will be the strongest second tier to date in Scottish football.

McCoist said: “I spoke to Gary Locke and I thought his boys did great this season.

“I watched them against St Mirren, watched them beat Hibs and watched them against Dundee United – they have some good talent.

“Tynecastle is one of my favourite grounds in Scotland.

“It is a great stadium, the fans are right on top of you and it’s a brilliant atmosphere.

“Not wishing the season away but it’s certainly one of the fixtures we will all be looking forward to next year.

“Hearts will be stronger and the Championship will be a proper league next season.

“There will be some good teams. I have watched a lot of Championship games this season, it’s a good standard and next year it will be as strong as it has ever been.”

McCoist will find out this week if chief executive Graham Wallace will release funds in order for him to recruit new players in the summer for their Championship campaign.

However, McCoist is confident that even if he is denied the opportunity to strengthen his squad that Rangers would be good enough to lift the Championship trophy.

He said: “I think we have a good enough team to perhaps do it. It would be very difficult and from my own point of view I’d rather strengthen but if we can’t we’ll just have to see how we would get on with it.

“Looking at the teams we’ve played from the Championship this season we beat Falkirk 2-0 with two late goals, beat Queen of the South and drew with Raith Rovers in 90 minutes.

“Those games would indicate it’s going to be very tough but if that’s the way it has to be then so be it.

“I would like to think that the likes of Nicky Law, Bilel Mohsni and Jon Daly will all come back better and stronger in the Championship next season.”

McCoist even managed a joke after Law complained that life at Rangers was tough because for the past six months the Light Blues faithful had branded the team s**t.

He said: “Nicky should try being the Rangers manager!

“It goes with the territory and the intensity on the boys has been massive, particularly for the new guys, it has been a real eye opener for them.

“I don’t read social media but the PR machine at the club keep me up to speed with what is going on.

“If you were to read all the stuff you would end up getting locked up so I try to avoid it if I can.”